Lian gave Pearl a grateful look when she offered him a distraction as he had asked.
"Yes, I would like to help with them." he said with a smile.
His hands gestured "gratitude" as he spoke.
When he made his opening bid on the stallion, Lian felt Pearl's grip on his arm tighten painfully. The look in her eyes was one of rage, and horror. Lian's own eyes widened in uncertainty and confusion as to what he might have done to deserve such animosity from a woman he scarcely knew, but had started to like in the short time he had been living in their pavilion. Then she began to speak.
Pearl's words hurt, and they hurt him deeply. Lian knew that he had not been as kind to his captive as he could have been, but he had not been cruel, either. He had used her for the purpose she existed for as his captive, but he had given her her freedom as well, as long as she obeyed the few rules he laid down for her. He was not a cruel man. Nor was he a stupid one. What kind of monster did Pearl think he was to even ask that? He had heard the auctioneer's warnings, as had everyone else in the crowd. Did he truly look like the kind of cruel, heartless monster that would endanger children in such a way?
Lian stared at the hand on his arm for a long tick, giving himself a moment to pull deep within himself, and withdraw. He did not pull his arm from the woman's grip. Instead, he held himself completely still, allowing her to do as she wished.
"You must truly think me a horrible monster." he murmured softly, before he could stop himself.
When he met her rage filled eyes, his own gaze was utterly neutral, betraying nothing of the pain he felt at her unspoken accusations.
"Of course I intend to board the stallion if I win him. At the Guilded Horse, as the auctioneer suggested. I admit that I know little of breeding horses, but I intend to learn. Once I do, it is my thought that this stallion could produce good foals, much like that orphaned one that was sold earlier. Some would be for the pavilion's use, and others could be sold."
Lian's tone was one of polite formality. His signs showed the same polite formality, and indicated one of lesser status speaking to someone of greater status in a similar fashion of someone who had yet to bond to a strider speaking to their ankal, but not quite to the same degree.
"If I have said, or done anything to suggest that I am the type of person who would willfully harm a child, or risk harm to a child, then you have my sincerest apologies. The children of your pavilion are safe from me. I will not harm them through action, inaction, word, or reckless deed. Nor will I allow any harm to come to them in my presence if I am capable of preventing it. The animals of your pavilion are equally safe from me." Lian said, his words conveying a solemn promise.
Lian's words, tone, and body language were even more politely formal than before. His signs reflected "sincerity," and reinforced his polite formality. Lian wondered if he should offer to leave the pavilion immediately. If Pearl thought him capable of risking injury or death to the children and animals of her pavilion by keeping such a vicious creature among them, then she couldn't trust him even the slightest bit. This seemed to go far beyond the fact that he was a stranger to her. Because even a stranger...even a foreign stranger could be afforded some bare amount of trust. At least enough to trust that he would not deliberately harm a child of the pavilion. If Pearl could think him capable of risking harm to the children and animals by bringing that stallion among them, then she could not trust him even as much as one would trust a stranger who was a guest in their home. It would be hard on her, living in the same pavilion as someone she trusted so little.
But in the end, Lian did not offer to leave. In that, he was selfish. He was painfully lonely without his children. Living alone would only make his loneliness more complete. Living in the Blackwater pavilion, and having children around, even if they weren't his helped a little. But he would have to keep an eye on the situation. Dravite was his friend, and he would not repay that friendship by causing pain and difficulty for his family. For now, he would keep his distance, and try to earn their trust. If he could not do so, or if it looked as though his presence was causing the family difficulty, he would leave..
.
.
"Yes, I would like to help with them." he said with a smile.
His hands gestured "gratitude" as he spoke.
When he made his opening bid on the stallion, Lian felt Pearl's grip on his arm tighten painfully. The look in her eyes was one of rage, and horror. Lian's own eyes widened in uncertainty and confusion as to what he might have done to deserve such animosity from a woman he scarcely knew, but had started to like in the short time he had been living in their pavilion. Then she began to speak.
Pearl's words hurt, and they hurt him deeply. Lian knew that he had not been as kind to his captive as he could have been, but he had not been cruel, either. He had used her for the purpose she existed for as his captive, but he had given her her freedom as well, as long as she obeyed the few rules he laid down for her. He was not a cruel man. Nor was he a stupid one. What kind of monster did Pearl think he was to even ask that? He had heard the auctioneer's warnings, as had everyone else in the crowd. Did he truly look like the kind of cruel, heartless monster that would endanger children in such a way?
Lian stared at the hand on his arm for a long tick, giving himself a moment to pull deep within himself, and withdraw. He did not pull his arm from the woman's grip. Instead, he held himself completely still, allowing her to do as she wished.
"You must truly think me a horrible monster." he murmured softly, before he could stop himself.
When he met her rage filled eyes, his own gaze was utterly neutral, betraying nothing of the pain he felt at her unspoken accusations.
"Of course I intend to board the stallion if I win him. At the Guilded Horse, as the auctioneer suggested. I admit that I know little of breeding horses, but I intend to learn. Once I do, it is my thought that this stallion could produce good foals, much like that orphaned one that was sold earlier. Some would be for the pavilion's use, and others could be sold."
Lian's tone was one of polite formality. His signs showed the same polite formality, and indicated one of lesser status speaking to someone of greater status in a similar fashion of someone who had yet to bond to a strider speaking to their ankal, but not quite to the same degree.
"If I have said, or done anything to suggest that I am the type of person who would willfully harm a child, or risk harm to a child, then you have my sincerest apologies. The children of your pavilion are safe from me. I will not harm them through action, inaction, word, or reckless deed. Nor will I allow any harm to come to them in my presence if I am capable of preventing it. The animals of your pavilion are equally safe from me." Lian said, his words conveying a solemn promise.
Lian's words, tone, and body language were even more politely formal than before. His signs reflected "sincerity," and reinforced his polite formality. Lian wondered if he should offer to leave the pavilion immediately. If Pearl thought him capable of risking injury or death to the children and animals of her pavilion by keeping such a vicious creature among them, then she couldn't trust him even the slightest bit. This seemed to go far beyond the fact that he was a stranger to her. Because even a stranger...even a foreign stranger could be afforded some bare amount of trust. At least enough to trust that he would not deliberately harm a child of the pavilion. If Pearl could think him capable of risking harm to the children and animals by bringing that stallion among them, then she could not trust him even as much as one would trust a stranger who was a guest in their home. It would be hard on her, living in the same pavilion as someone she trusted so little.
But in the end, Lian did not offer to leave. In that, he was selfish. He was painfully lonely without his children. Living alone would only make his loneliness more complete. Living in the Blackwater pavilion, and having children around, even if they weren't his helped a little. But he would have to keep an eye on the situation. Dravite was his friend, and he would not repay that friendship by causing pain and difficulty for his family. For now, he would keep his distance, and try to earn their trust. If he could not do so, or if it looked as though his presence was causing the family difficulty, he would leave..
.
.
